T.J. Martell Foundation to Honor Billboard's Leila Cobo & Warner Music's Iñigo Zabala at Annual Miami Dinner

The T.J. Martell Foundation for Cancer Research has announced plans to honor Billboard's Leila Cobo and Warner Music's Iñigo Zabala at this year's annual Martell in Miami Dinner to be held Wednesday, February 20, 2019.

Cobo, who is Billboard's vice president, Latin industry lead, will receive the Music Industry Trailblazer Award. Zabala, president of Warner Music Latin America & Iberia, will be honored with the Estefan Lifetime Achievement Award. There will also be a performance by Celia Cruz All Stars.

Cobo is one of the world's leading experts in Latin music and has helped Billboardexpand its coverage on the genre in print and online, including the launch of Spanish-language website Billboardenespanol.com. Billboard Latin content garners over 2 million unique visits per month on Billboard.com. She also works closely with broadcast partner Telemundo on the Billboard Latin Music Awards and programs the annual Billboard Latin Music Conference.

Cobo has published the award-winning novels Tell Me Something True and The Second Time We Met, which won the National Latino Book Award and the Latino Book Award for Best Popular Fiction, respectively. She also wrote a best best-selling biography on Jenni Rivera and a guide to people who want to work in the music industry called Apunta A las Estrellas. In 2017, Cobo co-wrote Ednita Nazario’s memoir, Una Vida, and was named Leading Latin Lady by the Latin Grammys.

Zabala has been president of Warner Music Latin America (WMLA) since 2001. The Spanish-born exec based out of Miami began his career in the music industry as founding member and songwriter in the band La Union. In 1988, he joined Warner Music Spain as an A&R manager, before becoming a marketing manager, deputy managing director and managing director of Warner Music Spain in just six years time. In 1998, he was appointed managing director Warner Music Mexico and then took over as president of WMI's Mexico and US Latin operations in 2000, soon moving to New York as executive vice president WMLA in August before assuming his current position a year later.

Throughout his career, Zabala has helped direct the careers of some of Latin music's biggest stars, including Maná, Miguel Bose, Luis Miguel and many others. Under his direction, WMLA's affiliates today include label affiliates in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Spain and Portugal, with additional license offices in Central America, Ecuador and Peru.

The Martell in Miami Dinner will be held at Estefan Kitchen in the Miami Design District. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities visit www.martellinmiami.org or call 646-841-1394.

Please click here to read the original article in Billboard.